Cancer Care

Prostate Cancer Care

Prostate cancer is a condition that affects the prostate gland, a small organ located below the bladder in men. While it is one of the most common types of cancer among men, early detection can lead to better outcomes.

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What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer happens when bad cells grow too much in the prostate gland. It’s one of the most common cancers in men. Sometimes it spreads, but finding it early makes treatment easier. Often, it starts quietly without symptoms, so regular check-ups are important.

Knowing the signs early helps stop it from getting worse and keeps life better.

Risk factors for prostate cancer include:

Age: Men over 50 are at a higher risk.
Family history: A close relative with prostate cancer increases your chances.
Ethnicity: African American men are more likely to develop the condition.
Diet and lifestyle: A diet high in processed foods and lack of physical activity can contribute to risk.

Common symptoms of prostate cancer may include:

Difficulty urinating or a weak urine stream
Frequent urges to urinate, especially at night
Blood in urine or semen
Pain or discomfort in the pelvic area

Recognizing these signs early is vital for seeking medical care and exploring treatment options.

Screening for prostate cancer

Regular screening can detect prostate cancer when it’s most treatable. Prostate-specific antigen (STA) testing and digital rectal exam (DRE) are the most common methods.

Benefits of PSA testing:

Early detection of prostate cancer before symptoms appear
Improved treatment outcomes when cancer is found early
It saves lives — if you have a family history and are 50 years old, or are 55 years old with no family history, you should have an annual PSA

Considerations for PSA testing:

Elevated PSA levels don’t always indicate cancer and may lead to unnecessary tests of treatments, but it can alert us if more testing is needed.
PSA levels can be influenced by other factors, such as age or prostate inflammation, so they don’t always indicate cancer.

We work closely with patients to determine the most appropriate screening plan based on their health, family history and risk factors.

We currently rely heavily on 3 Tesla multiparametric MRI and other blog tests to determine who is at risk.

Stages of prostate cancer

Stages, or staging, helps us understand the extent of prostate cancer and guides treatment decisions:

Stage 1: Cancer is confined to a small area of the prostate and is typically slow-growing.
Stage 2: Cancer is still within the prostate but involve larger areas of multiple sections.
Stage 3: Cancer has spread beyond the prostate to nearby tissues.
Stage 4: Cancer has spread to lymph nodes, bones or other distant parts of the body.

Treatment for prostate cancer

We offer a range of treatments tailored to each patient’s needs and preferences. Your treatment plan may include one or a combination of the following:

Active surveillance: For low-risk cases, monitoring the condition closely without immediate treatment may be recommended.
Surgery: Removal of the prostate gland may be suggested for localized cancer.
Nerve-sparing prostatectomy: A surgical procedure, using the DaVinci surgical system, that removes the prostate while aiming to preserve surrounding nerves and tissues.
Radiation therapy: High-energy rays target and kill cancer cells. Different types of radiation therapy are used to target prostate cancer, including high-dose rate brachythrerapy (HDR) and Pluvicto.
Hormone therapy: This treatment is used to reduce or block the hormones that help cancer cells grow.
Chemotherapy/Immunotherapy: This treatment targets cancer cells that may have spread beyond the prostate.
Radiopharmacuticals: An injection for prostate cancer that is resistant to medical or surgical treatments that lower testosterone and has spread to the bones, but not other parts of the body.
Focal therapy: Uses hot or cold therapy to destroy tumor cells.

Our healthcare team is dedicated to guiding you through every step of the process. We focus on providing compassionate, patient-centered care to support you and your family in making informed decisions about your health.